Tall Vans and Low Bridges

[jkiz]

My van is roughly 7', and will be taller once I add a roof rack, cargo box, and dog sled. I've come across a variety of relatively low bridges in the Northeast US -- some really sneak up on you, and don't offer a way to easily turn around. I've made a point to avoid these routes in the future, but I'd love to know beforehand when I'm planning trips to new places.

Are there any tools or apps that point out areas with low clearances? What do 18-wheelers use?

 

[MrNoodly]

Just follow vehicles taller that yours.

 

[highdesertranger]

ha ha, the bridge on K street in Needles is 8' 4" this is on north bound US 95 if you miss the turn. I set my Garmin GPS to semi truck mode and it takes me on truck routes around low bridges. highdesertranger

 

[BradKW]

Just follow vehicles taller that yours.

How fast do you have to run to outrun a bear?

Slightly faster than the other guy....

 

[ArtW]

ha ha, the bridge on K street in Needles is 8' 4" this is on north bound US 95 if you miss the turn. I set my Garmin GPS to semi truck mode and it takes me on truck routes around low bridges. highdesertranger

does it also route around steep grades where practical?

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

http://www.lowclearances.com/

 

[LeeRevell]

There are RV and Trucker specific GPS units that warn of known and programmed low overpasses and bridges, but they are only as good as the current data.
I do sometimes watch dash cam crash videos on Youtube, and some show this problem, ten tons of vehicle trying to fitva five ton hole. Messy!

 

[TMG51]

My van is 10' tall and I rarely ever encounter a clearance issue on roads. Drove through NYC and that was close. Drive-in windows are out of the question though...
Vaguely related, check out this site for a good laugh: http://11foot8.com

 

[Damian Rolling]

AllStays Camp & RV app has a filter that will identify clearances as low as 7 feet.

My van is just under 10 feet and only once have I encountered a clearance that low (on a side street in a small town in Indiana). Usually there are extra signs warning of a low clearance (less than 12 feet) to give trucks, etc. room to detour.

 

[djkeev]

I tend to wander.
No GPS turned on, not even a compass, just a inate desire to "Follow that old road".

Where does it go? The older and less traveled the road, the better it is for me.

One thinks of the North East as being crowded and overrun with people rushing down crowded modern highways.

I have found many wonderful old areas with unpaved roads, tiny stone underpasses under old canals or railroads, rickity wooden bridges, dirt paths through Colonial era settlements, etc.
i have found a lot of this along the Delaware River itself.
I completely understand your concerns.

I have pretty much decided to shy away from the larger, wider, taller and heavier RV units because of this very fact.
My Dodge Conversion Van is about as high as I want to go right now.

Dave

 

[eDJ_]

My E 350 high top extended stands just at 9'.   I'm super aware of where I drive it and am very careful at night.

But I find I'm more apt to find low tree branches before I find low bridges.   And some of those branches are
quite hefty.  This is what I like about the 2-2-2 system of travel.  It's basically daylight traveling.   Unless I'm going to go some distance on the interstate....I'll throw out the anchor by 2pm.

 

[Baloo]

I am right at 12' and have only had to turn around and find another way once in the past five years. I don't do a bunch of inner city driving and I don't even attempt McDonalds.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[flying kurbmaster]

I am 9 feet tall, I have never had an issue on the roads, in camping spots or off road low branches have been an issue.

 

[GrayWhale]

ha ha,  the bridge on K street in Needles is 8' 4" this is on north bound US 95 if you miss the turn.  I set my Garmin GPS to semi truck mode and it takes me on truck routes around low bridges.  highdesertranger

That is so smart!

 

[Almost There]

I managed to squeek through this one with only inches to spare!

 

[TooManyDogs]

Almost There- You're very bold. Was there a sign with the clearance posted on the other side? How tall is your van? Is that a 24" top with an additional 3-4" of fan cover?

 

[Almost There]

Yes, there was a sign and yes, I knew I could squeek through. I've done worse but the tunnel wasn't as pretty....  

It's a 24" high top and the Camco vent cover adds about another 8" to the height. From a distance it looks like some kind of cake decoration some days...